The present invention relates to conductor pin assembly arrangements and more particularly to a conductor pin assembly arrangement which can be removably associated readily as part of a housing with electrical connection openings of a walled machine housing, particularly of the semi-hermetic type.
Terminal assemblies which incorporate at least one current carrying electrically connected terminal pin extending in insulated relation through a cup shaped body mounted in turn in sealed relation to a housing wall opening are generally known. The outer segment of the pin is connected to an electrical power source and the confined inner segment of the pin to a machine or motor unit in the housing. Such a hermetic terminal assembly arrangement can be found in a number of U.S. patents, issued to Benjamin Bowsky et al, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,433 issued on Apr. 22, 1966, the general arrangement being particularly adapted to hermetically sealed housings for comparatively low horse power rated compressor units (for example, one horse-power). It further is known to support a plurality of electrical conducting pins in spaced apart relation in the same sandwiching cover fused to an electrical casing, such as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 2,768,231, issued to D. O. Schwennesen et al on Oct. 23, 1956 and to mold one or more electrical conducting pins in a glass insert forming part of an electrical casing, such as taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,721,943, issued to M. D. Curr on Mar. 20, 1973 and 4,961,018, issued to P. Akther on Oct. 2, 1990.
In higher horse-power rating demands, it also is known to provide current conductive pins threaded adjacent at least one extremity and bolt head configured at the other extremity, the pin extending through opposed faces of an annular compressible insulated seal, usually rubber. The seal engages in an opening in a machine housing wall and when compressed by the urging of a threaded nut engaging against at least one face of the seal, the compressible seal radially expands to provide tightened sealing engagement with the wall housing opening. This past adjustable arrangement has been comparatively expensive with sealing problems arising due to thermal changes and possible compressible material distortions with non-uniform radial expansion of the compressible seal.
More recently in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/698,954, filed May 13, 1991, in the name of F. Dieter Paterek, a novel conductive pin terminal assembly arrangement is provided which can be inserted as a complete unit including glass to metal seals within a machine unit housing wall portion to provide a positive, uniform hermetic seal with the wall housing panel. This inventive unit provides for ready removal of the complete terminal assembly unit by providing an internally threaded wall opening engageable by an externally threaded sleeve forming part of the terminal assembly unit.
The present invention provides a further unique and novel conductive pin assembly which also is straight-forward and economical to manufacture and assemble and which can be even more readily inserted as a complete unit including sealing means within a unit housing wall portion to provide a positive uniform seal with the housing wall panel without requiring comparatively costly internal and external threading.
Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth herein.